The European Union broke off talks on closer ties with Serbia today over its failure to arrest and hand over genocide suspect Ratko Mladic to the UN war crimes tribunal, the bloc's enlargement chief said.
European Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn confirmed the move after being briefed by telephone by chief UN war crimes prosecutor Carla del Ponte, who had expressed hope the EU would get tough with Belgrade.
"Her assessment is negative," Mr Rehn said in a statement. "The Commission therefore has to call off the negotiations on the Stabilisation and Association Agreement."
Serbia failed to keep a pledge that Mladic - alleged to be hiding in the country protected by renegade army and intelligence officers - would be handed over to the Hague War Crimes tribunal by the end of April, a deadline set by the EU.
The EU wants the former Bosnian Serb military commander, who is wanted for genocide in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre of 8,000 Bosnian Muslims, extradited before advancing Serbia's hopes of eventual EU membership.